Screen allows you to create multiple sessions in which to execute processes (normally interactive shells, at least for me). The most common way of using these multiple shells is via the key bindings to switch between them (ctrl + a,<space> being the most common in my experience).

Often, some windows are being monitored despite a low amount of activity – eg, IRC – so require the user to regularly switch to the window to check for activity (or when notified of activity in a particular window while viewing anotrher one). This can be a fairly annoying interuption to the flow of whatever you’re doing in your “active” window, especially when you’re simply flicking to a window to see what’s changed, and then straight back again to continue whatever you were doing before.

There is a way round this: screeen allows the creation of multiple viewing regions that can be set to display whichever window you like.

Quick example session:

(ctrl + a,: to bring up prompt for entering screen commands)
:split split current window into two regions
:resize +20 grow the current region by 20 lines
:focus down move to the lower region(ctrl + a, until the desired window is visible)
:focus up move back to the previous region
... later, when the new region is no longer (des|requ)ired..
:remove remove the current region

One Response to “screen: split windows + how to use them”

I love screen! It’s great because you can kill your terminal at any time, then later log back in and do: screen -D -R to re-attach.